Six go to the gate in Saturday's Queen's County at Aqueduct © Cheryl Quigley | Dreamstime.com
The Todd Pletcher trained San Pablo headlines a field of six that go to the post in Saturday’s $75,000 Queen’s County at Aqueduct.
The four-year-old son of Jump Start has won eight of his 14 career starts including the Phillip Iselin (G3) at Monmouth Park back in August and is the 3-5 morning line favorite.
The colt came up short in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), checking in ninth, but bounced back with a sharp win at Penn National in the Swatara Stakes.
Jockey Chris Decarlo gets the return engagement on the colt and is perfect in three starts as the pilot.
Tonto Fontenot (6-1) invades from Maryland for trainer Dane Kobiske and is coming off a game nose win against third level optional claimers in a race taken off the grass at Laurel Park.
The gelding was claimed by the Kobiskie barn for $50,000 back in July, and he ran second in his next two starts including his stakes debut which came at Mountaineer Park in the West Virginia Speaker’s Cup on turf.
Rick Dutrow is wheeling back Gallant Fields (4-1) off a third place finish on Thursday against third level optional claimers. Dutrow is 33% winners (with a +ROI) when bringing runners back off a 1-7 day break.
Completing the field are Indy Scent (15-1), Arch Traveler (12-1), and Isn’t He Perfect (5-1).
Dust and Diamonds Leads Sugar Swirl at Gulfstream Park
Pletcher also sends out the favorite in the $100,000 Sugar Swirl, the featured race at Gulfstream Park on Saturday afternoon.
Dust and Diamonds is the 8-5 morning line favorite and makes her first start since running second in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), beaten 4 ½ lengths by the brilliant Groupie Doll.
The filly has won three of her five starts this year including the Gallant Bloom (G2) at Belmont Park on Sept. 22.
Spectacular Sky (3-1) shortens up to six furlongs after the filly set the early fractions and weakened to finish sixth in the Chilukki (G2) at Churchill Downs going a mile. The filly won her three previous starts by a combined 17 lengths, all three trips at Calder.
The Wayne Catalano trained Sacristy (4-1) returns to conventional dirt after a good effort in a runner up finish in the Raven Run (G2) at Keeneland over polytrack. The filly started off the year by winning the Old Hat (G3) over the Gulfstream Park main track.
Completing the field are Nakano (10-1), Hearts of Red (15-1), Honey Chile (6-1) and Golden Mystery (6-1).
Louisiana Champions Day Features Eleven Stakes
Over $1 million in purses will be up for grabs at Fair Grounds on Saturday, the 13-race card featuring 11 stakes races for the top Louisiana bred runners.
The marquee event is the $150,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic, which drew a field of 11, although it is missing retired Star Guitar, a three time winner of the race.
The all-time Louisiana bred money earner will be making an appearance in the paddock but for the first time in five years will not be competing.
The brilliant runner retired having won 24 of 30 career races and he did some of his best running on Louisiana Champions Day.
He won the Juvenile in 2007, the Sprint as a three-year-old, and the Classic three years in a row from the ages of four to six.
The Tom Amoss trained Populist Politics is the 3-1 morning line favorite off a runner up finish in the state bred Gold Cup where he was beaten 2 ¾ lengths by Lee’s Spirit.
His main rival appears to be Get in Da House (7-2), who makes his first start since winning a starter optional claimer at Delta Downs on Oct. 20. The gelding has won three of his four trips over the Fair Grounds main track.
Others that figure to garner attention at the betting windows include Gold Cup winner Lee’s Spirit (9-2), Gold Cup third place finisher Heavy On Thunder (5-1), and Churchill Downs invader Watch My Smoke (6-1), who was claimed out of his last start for $50,000 by trainer Michelle Lovell.
Purchase Michael Dempsey’s full card reports for Aqueduct, which includes his selections, analysis, fair odds line, and wagering recommendations.
